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Acrylic in Profile

Acrylic is a transparent thermoplastic which is often preferred to glass for certain applications due to its comparative weight, cost and ease of handling The material was developed in 1928 in various laboratories, and was first brought to market in 1933.

Material Facts

Acrylic refers to a family of synthetic, or man-made, plastic materials containing one or more derivatives of acrylic acid. The most common acrylic is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which is a tough, highly transparent material with excellent resistance to ultraviolet radiation and weathering. It can be coloured, moulded, cut, drilled, and formed. These properties make it ideal for many applications including airplane windshields, skylights, automobile taillights, and outdoor signs. One notable application is the ceiling of the Houston Astrodome which is composed of hundreds of double-insulating panels of PMMA acrylic plastic.

Material Science

Acrylic or PMMA is a vinyl polymer, made by free radical vinyl polymerization from the monomer methyl methacrylate. PMMA is a member of a family of polymers which chemists call acrylates, but the rest of the world calls acrylics.